Chapter 4
CHAPTER 4: Is That Even Real?
"Hah! Did you see that genius header? That's how you use your head!"
"Genius my foot. Timothy, all you did was stick your head on a pass that dropped perfectly."
"Oh, what's this? Are you saying JT's pass was genius?"
"What? Bobo, are you finally admitting it?"
"...Don't make a fuss just because we caught up by one goal! We're still losing. If you want to be loud, do it after we turn this around!"
"Bobo is right. It's too early to celebrate. We need to at least make it a draw."
"Um, hm! If JT says so, we must follow."
"Good, good! Let's go make it a tie!"
"..."
What on earth is happening right now?
The DC United U-16 Manager stood up, his face hardening.
Until the first half, everything had gone exactly according to plan.
NYCFC was a relatively new team, and their defensive depth was thin. DC United had exploited that weakness with high-density pressure, inducing pass errors and scoring two early goals.
Even in the second half, they maintained a similar tempo and dominated the flow. He had been certain they had seized victory.
But at some point, the flow started to twist.
Tracing the origin of that shift, the DC United Manager's eyes landed on a stranger. An Asian player he hadn't seen before. Kim Jin-tae.
He was a second-line resource substituted in during halftime.
Common sense dictates that putting in an attacker doesn't help stabilize the rear.
It should have been that way.
But right now, the entire NYCFC team is changing 180 degrees because of that one kid, Kim Jin-tae.
Above all, the buildup from the back, which had been pointed out as a weakness. That was solved.
At first, he thought it was a coincidence. But watching continuously, he became certain.
That guy is finding the exact cracks opening between spaces and moving to receive passes.
He drops down or spreads out from the second line whenever necessary to secure his spot.
That wasn't all.
The passes he delivered after receiving the ball, inducing reactions from the surrounding players with light touches, were even more breathtaking.
Tight gaps. Between defenders. Or even spots crushed by pressure.
Kim Jin-tae didn't miss a single opportunity, connecting passes and constantly pressuring DC United.
And if they rushed in to cut off the pass?
"..."
He would shake off defenders far too lightly, then attack the empty space created by his breakthrough.
He wasn't on the roster until just a few days ago. Where did a player like that suddenly pop out from?
"He seems to be a player sent on youth loan from Manchester City to NYCFC. But if you look at the article content..."
"A prospect who failed to adapt locally? That guy?"
The DC United Manager scoffed as he quickly scanned the article about Kim Jin-tae that his head coach had collected.
If 'failing to adapt' looks like that level of skill, then just how good do you have to be to succeed? Send some of those 'failed' prospects to us, too.
Through today's match, I recalled a memory I had forgotten for a long time.
The fact that football is fun.
I definitely started because I liked football.
But at some point, when it became a job, when it became my life, even playing in a match started to feel emotionally numb.
No. I had to become numb.
Otherwise, I felt like I couldn't endure a life that was like a rollercoaster.
Naturally, I forgot how I started playing football in the first place.
At first, I thought it was because I wasn't good at football. But that wasn't it.
I had been playing half-hearted football all this time.
But playing today, my concept of football expanded from focusing only on myself to my teammates. And then extended further to applying that concept against opponents and space.
Because of this, I realized how small a fraction of football I had been playing until now.
My heart pounded at every single ball coming toward me.
It was natural, as I began to look forward to what plays I could make with this ball. My heart racing while receiving a ball. How long has it been since I felt this?
Wow. Even I have to admit, that pass went in beautifully.
"No, look at that trajectory! Did he kick that with a Trivela? Just how flexible are his ankles to get that angle?!"
The agent, who had been standing next to David Villa and focusing on the match for a while now, gasped with a shocked expression.
David Villa felt the same.
The power is still lacking since he's growing, but the pass trajectory he drew was perfect.
A pass that accurately recognized the defenders' positions and aimed for a gap exactly the size of a ball.
And if the ball successfully passed through that gap to the other side...
It's basically spoon-feeding. There's no way he can miss.
Finally, the NYCFC equalizer burst forth.
The people watching the match with bated breath erupted in cheers and applause as the DC United net shook. The player who scored ran straight to Kim Jin-tae, who gave the assist, to rejoice together.
And just as deep as NYCFC's joy was the dark cloud hanging over the DC United bench.
David Villa subtly shifted his gaze to check the expressions of the DC United coaching staff and swallowed a bitter smile.
Their faces were stiff, hands clasping their foreheads—a 180-degree turn from the first half.
Well, sighs were inevitable.
They had tried various things to respond in their own way, but everything proved useless.
DC United had decided to drop back entirely whenever Kim Jin-tae received the ball.
They realized that stepping up to check Kim Jin-tae's play only allowed him to break through or exposed space behind them. So, their intention was to increase the density of their rear defense to block him out.
But Kim Jin-tae destroyed DC United's tactic with this single pass.
However, the match isn't over yet. And... neither side looks satisfied with a draw.
Eight minutes left until the end of the second half.
It wasn't ample time, but it was enough for something to happen.
Knowing this, DC United was raising their momentum again, attempting a counterattack.
They had allowed a draw in a game they could have won, so they were likely anxious.
But...
"Belated anxiety is actually poison."
Especially if the opponent is a genius who knows how to create a difference. That creates a lethal poison.
Kim Jin-tae, who had been hiding his fangs throughout the match, bit directly into DC United's neck.
A solo sprint, digging between defenders and breaking through to the final third in an instant.
Finally, he deceived even the goalkeeper with a shot feint and pushed the ball into the empty net, becoming the protagonist of the winning goal.
Even for a youth level, it was an overwhelming majesty that not just anyone could pull off. It commanded admiration.
Eventually, the referee's whistle signaled the end of the match, and the joys and sorrows of the two teams were perfectly divided.
David Villa, who had been watching the pitch quietly for a while, turned around first.
"What? You're really not going to see them?"
"Hyung, I told you. Confidence is important for kids."
In a situation full of the joy of achievement, would my going there now do any good? Not at all.
Right now, it is more important for them to enjoy the sense of accomplishment they achieved themselves.
Above all, there was no need to visit today. Because it looks like I'll be seeing his face in person before long.
It's been two weeks since I joined the U-16 team.
I played the second half against DC United, and I played full time in the next match against Philadelphia Union.
Philadelphia, currently 1st in the U-16 league, was certainly a team with organization befitting their rank.
Their offensive and defensive balance was good, and above all, the goalkeeper's skill stood out.
He participated in the buildup by coming up himself when necessary, and his judgment in ball-handling situations was quite high-level.
But that's still U-16 level.
Once we scored one goal, Philadelphia Union couldn't maintain their play style and slowly self-destructed.
Just like that, we achieved a massive victory, scoring five goals against Philadelphia.
My record for this day was 1 goal and 4 assists.
After opening the scoring with the first goal, I stacked up assists and finished the match smoothly.
Unfortunately, Mom couldn't come to watch the match on this day either.
I told her it was okay to come, but she had work scheduled beforehand. Still, she promised to come watch the next match for sure.
Thanks to the side dish shop owner grandma pushing her back, saying she must go if there's an event like that.
And today before training, there was a summons from U-16 Manager Michael, so I arrived at the training ground earlier than usual.
"Oh, you're here."
When I knocked on the academy office door and peeked my head in, Manager Michael, who was busy processing documents, spotted me and pointed to the sofa.
As I sat on the sofa observing the office interior for a moment, Manager Michael came and sat in front of me.
"This might be sudden, but there was a call-up request."
"Me?"
It's only been two weeks since I came to this team, and already a call-up? Even if my performance in the last two matches was decent, isn't this too fast? But if it's a call-up, do I go up to U-18?
"I thought it was there at first, too."
"?"
"JT, the place you are going up to is the First Team."
"?!"
(End of Chapter)
—Translated by Prime Works —